THREE of PENTACLES

This deck is based on the Rider-Waite, but has far more appealing imagery. The colours are bright and cheerful and the deck is ideal for beginners. It is also a good deck for young readers, or for readers who like their subjects to interact with the deck, as the cards are small and easy to handle. There is a happy quality about this deck and the characters in particular have plenty of 'life' in them, especially the children. For readers who prefer to give positive, inspiring readings, this deck is ideal.

This card tells us that we need to work with others rather than against them if we are to succeed. It also promises that effort will be rewarded and hard work will not go unnoticed. The subject who draws this card is entering a phase where they need to concentrate on the big picture rather than letting themselves be bogged down by minor details. They should concentrate on achieving their goals slowly but surely, rather than expecting results overnight.

When this card is in a prominent position, it tells us that the subject of the reading has all the skills and knowledge they need to progress in whatever they wish to do. They should not let themselves be detracted from their aims by others who do not understand or share their motives - instead, they should seek out those who have similar goals. Teamwork is often very important when this card is drawn.

Although this card tends to appear mainly in readings concerning career or business matters, it can also apply to more personal issues. If it were to appear in a reading concentrating on a subject's romantic life, it would be telling them that they need to compromise with their partner, rather than working against them. They need to concentrate on the areas they agree on, rather than worrying about those where they don't see eye-to-eye.

This card is also a good one to see if the subject is looking for support from others. It assures them that support is readily available, as there are plenty of people around them who share their views, or are pursuing the same goals. The subject simply needs to find them and combine forces. The very presence of this card suggests that circumstances will lead to them being able to do this without any great difficulty.

FIVE of PENTACLES

The Goddess Tarot is illustrated in golden shades with appealing imagery. Each Major Arcana card has a different border that coincides with the Goddess depicted upon it, illustrated with scenes that depict each goddess's way of life, rather like a separate story from that shown on the main part of the card. The Minor Arcana are also nicely illustrated, and each suit corresponds to a different goddess. For anyone wishing to work with goddesses, this deck is ideal.

Whenever I see this card, the first thing I think of is "money loss". However, this doesn't seem to fit in too well with the previous signs I've had that money is on the way, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part!

This card always relates to the lack of something and a general struggle to make ends meet. Although it's usually money or material goods that are lacking, it can also signify the loss of a job or even loss of health, either physical or mental. In the latter case, it will nearly always be caused by the subject not taking enough care of their body and neglecting it, usually by not eating properly or indulging in too many harmful habits such as smoking, drinking or drugs.

Although the health problems signified by this card are not usually life-threatening, they can nevertheless be serious enough to warrant medical attention. The subject therefore needs to pay more attention to their overall health if this card features in a prominent position and should view it as a gentle warning that they need to take more care of themselves.

Another meaning for this card is isolation insofar as the subject may feel that they are on their own and no one understands them or even cares about them. It may be that they lack support or approval in some way, or feel excluded from things going on around them. This card can sometimes come up when the subject is trapped in a loveless marriage, or feels that their partner doesn't support them or encourage them enough in the things that matter to them.

What we need to remember with this card is that it is usually more of a warning than a definite forecast. The subject who starts to take better care of their health, for instance, will not only feel better, they will probably also avoid a more serious health problem in the future. Similarly, by paying more attention to their finances and perhaps working out a budget, they will improve their monetary situation and hopefully become better-off.

In some cases, this card is telling us that the subject is simply feeling sorry for themselves at the present time and needs to count their blessings. Often they have more to be thankful for than they realise and if this is the case, the surrounding cards should indicate what those things are. When the subject is feeling like this, gentle encouragement is often enough to set them on the right track towards appreciating what (and who) they have a little more.

Finally, some sources describe this card as "a cloud with a silver lining". They advise whoever draws it to stop worrying about everything that is "wrong" with their life and concentrate on improving it by grabbing hold of a particular opportunity that will come their way - this is apparently especially true when the card is drawn as a daily card.